Kats in Love
by LeviCatnip
Summary: Karkat Vantas loved Nepeta Leijon from the moment he saw her. The question: how will he get her to like him? And what ending will their relationship lead to, with so many dramas occurring around them? Friends, family, and exams all seem to get in the way of Karkat's lovelife. (Good ol' humanstuck, schoolstuck, KatNep :33)
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

The memory of that night did not leave Karkat Vantas' mind for a long time, even after the incident. Climbing the hill, his hand intertwined with hers. Sitting below the moon, talking about whatever came to mind. Gazing into her beautiful, shining olive green eyes. Kissing her – first on the cheek, but it turned into a long-lasting kiss on her mouth. Karkat still chuckled when he thought about how she mewed as he stroked her tail. Jesus fucking Christ. What was wrong with him? Why could he not force her out of her mind? Would he forever be haunted by the last night he would spend with Nepeta Leijon?

*** 1 MONTH EARLIER ***

"You like Nepeta Leijon?" Rose's eyes bore into Karkat like a drill. Karkat tried looking away but he could feel her gaze pressing into the side of his head.

"YEAH. SO WHAT IF I DO?" he said defensively. Rose sighed.

"Karkat, stop trying to talk defensively. There's nothing wrong with liking a girl, and she's pretty damn hot too. What I'm worried about is whether you should really be thinking about romance when exams are on in a month." Karkat turned around slowly, facing Rose again.

"SHIT. EXAMS? I THOUGHT THEY WERE-"

Rose piped up before Karkat could finish his sentence: "They're next month Karkat. Don't tell me you haven't studied." Karkat, obviously, hadn't studied at all. He had spent his time obsessing over Nepeta. Ever since she had come to his school last semester, Karkat couldn't take his eyes off her. He didn't try to stalk her, not wanting to seem creepy, but when he found out that she caught the same bus home as him he was over the moon. He always sat a few rows behind her, watching her laugh with her friends, opening her mouth to reveal her feline teeth and elegant tongue. Hear her say his name… Karkat… Karkat…

"Karkat!" Rose's shouting pushed Karkat out of his fantasy.

"WHAT THE FUCK ROSE?" Karkat shouted. Without saying a word, Rose pointed at a classroom nearby. Walking past the window was Nepeta Leijon.

"YEAH… IT'S HER. I'M NOT A DUMBASS I KNOW SHE GOES TO THIS SCHOOL."

"Look closer."

Karkat looked closer, and what he noticed almost broke his heart. Nepeta Leijon was crying. Big fat tears were rolling down her cheeks, spilling onto the pavement as she walked. Karkat spoke in a whisper now.

"WELL WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO? STOP HER FROM FLIPPING HER SHIT?"

"You're the one who's watched all those romantic comedies, not me."

"FUCK YOU LALONDE."

Karkat stood up and began following Nepeta. His heart was pounding in his chest as she walked towards the locker bays, his footsteps mirroring hers. As they neared the lockers, Nepeta stopped walking and, without turning around, spoke.

":33 *sniff* why are you *sniff* following me"

Karkat stopped dead in his tracks. How did she hear him?

"I, UH... WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE ALRIGHT." Nepeta spoke again, using her soft voice once more.

":33 im... im fine, just... please leave me alone"

He didn't object to her as she ran away from him. He simply sighed. The first actual interaction he had had with her, and it was a complete and utter failure. Now he was scared that it might be the last.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

The next day, as Karkat walked to the bus stop in the morning, his mind was sent wandering. Why was Nepeta crying? He couldn't believe that anyone could have the nerve to hurt someone as pretty as her in any way. In fact, it was the first time Karkat had seen her sad since she had come to the school. With these thoughts spinning around his brain, Karkat stepped onto the bus and walked straight into the eighty kilograms of muscle that was Equius Zahhak. The brute clenched his teeth and spoke.

" D- What e%actly are you doing following Nepeta." Karkat gasped. How did he know? And, more importantly, why did he care? Everyone knew Equius Zahhak as the school bully, not caring about everyone else's wants and forcing them – usually violently – to follow his orders. Karkat realised he better answer before his brain becoming fist stew.

"SHE WAS CRYING AND, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T JUST LEAVE GIRLS TO CRY, IT'S THE GENTLEMEN'S CODE OR SOME SHIT LIKE THAT. ROSE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT IT."

There was a moment of silence before Equius extended his hand and grabbed Karkat by the collar, almost severing his airflow.

" D- If I catch you one more time around her, there will be trouble."

"YUP, FINE BY ME. GOOD AND DONE. HOORAY."

Karkat was almost about to suffocate just before Equius lowered him to the ground and took a seat. Karkat took a seat far, far away.

After school had finished, Karkat stuffed as many books into his bag as physically possible and began strolling towards the bus bay. With the amount of study notes that had to be written and the amount of homework that had to be completed, Karkat had almost completely forgotten about his problem with Nepeta. Almost. The love he felt for her was always going to be stuck in his mind. Stepping onto the bus, he shuffled towards where he usually sat, near the back. However, his spot was already taken by Nepeta Leijon. This was weird. Why was she sitting away from her friends? He glanced at her usual seat. Vriska Serket and Kanaya Maryam, Nepeta's buddies, seemed more vicious than usual. They kept looking over their shoulders and giving angry glances at Nepeta. That was when Karkat realised – it must have been THEM that had made her cry yesterday. Bottling up the anger that he could feel rising, he moved on and, with a moment of hesitation, sat next to Nepeta. At least Equius couldn't do anything – he caught a different bus in the afternoon.

She was leaning against the window, her dainty elbow, supporting her angular chin. Her green trenchcoat fell to her ankles, with her cute blue tail poking through a hole in the fabric.

":33 who are you?" she asked as she turned around to face Karkat.

"I'M KARKAT. KARKAT VANTAS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER, BUT I WAS THAT GUY THAT WAS… UM… MAKING SURE YOU WERE OKAY THE OTHER DAY." Karkat hoped he hadn't sounded too dorky.

":33 oh, I am soooo sorry about that! I was just really emotional, sorry if I seemed too harsh."

"NO, IT'S FINE, I GET ANGRY TOO WHEN I'M EMOTIONAL."

":33 wait, I just realised I haven't even properly introduced myself! God, I suck at meeting new people. I'm Nepeta Leijon!"

Karkat grinned as he shook her hand. Finally, the proper meeting he had hoped for.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Over the next few days, Karkat talked to Nepeta almost constantly. During breaks, on the bus, even at home using their phones. It had become such a natural friendship that Karkat could barely contain his excitement. He was friends with Nepeta Leijon. This was a dream turned into reality. That Friday, sitting on the edge of the school oval, Karkat asked Nepeta a question he had been meaning to ask ever since they had first spoken to each other near the lockers.

"CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION?" Karkat said, Nepeta replying with a nod. "WHY WERE YOU CRYING THAT DAY WHEN WE FIRST MET?" Nepeta's natural glee fell slightly, making the air around them seem moodier and the joy to disappear.

":33 its not something I really want to talk about…"she said, and Karkat quickly covered up his mistake of being too brash.

"OH SORRY, IT'S FINE I WAS JUST A BIT CURIOUS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO." There was a moment of awkward silence before a deep sigh filtered through Nepeta's lips, closely followed by words.

":33 I was really good friends with vriska and kanaya. They were so nice to me when I first came here, they just kinda stood by me and made me feel a lot less lonely. But then… last week…" Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small trinket – a tiny cat pendant that looked like it had been broken in half. ":33 They got angry at me for being childish… told me not to be so sentimental over stupid little things…" She glanced at the broken pendant again. ":33 my mom gave me this before she died… and now vriska broke it…" Nepeta began to start sobbing quietly, and Karkat could tell she was trying to hold back her tears. _Fuck,_ he thought. _How do you calm people down? _Feeling awkward sitting next to the teary cat girl, Karkat leaned in and hugged her as tears began to appear, patting her back slowly.

"IT'S UM… ALL RIGHT NEPETA. AT LEAST YOU STILL HAVE IT, IT ISN'T LOST OR ANYTHING." Nepeta quietened down a bit and pulled away from Karkat, staring into his eyes with watery versions of her own.

":33 you don't think she'd be mad at me if she was still alive?"

"OF COURSE NOT."

Karkat stared into Nepeta's face, and she gazed back. He stared at her perfect face, perfect hair, perfect nose, and perfect lips. They were so perfect that they seemed to be getting closer, closer and closer, until they were pressed up against his. The kiss was long and slow, a luxurious palace that Karkat's mind wandered into and got lost in its infinite beauty. When she pulled away, Karkat couldn't bear the separation – it tore at his chest, his heart. He yearned for that warmth again, and leaned closer to her. Their second kiss was longer, if that was possible, and both participants were filled with the joy they did not know they had the capacity for. The joy of love. Before the kiss could officially conclude, however, Karkat's hair was roughly pulled away from Nepeta's reach. As he opened his eyes, Karkat realised he was face to face with the one and only Equius Zahhak.

"D- What happened to our promise, Karkat Vantas."

"SHIT."


End file.
